NUCLEAR- Industry declares a nuclear renaissance. Will the public be convinced? Nuclear in popular culture and around the world.National Observer Matteo Cimellaro | Analysis, April 2nd 2024  The mood was jubilant at the Canadian Nuclear Association’s annual conference in February as leaders proclaimed a nuclear renaissance that promises growth and stability in a low-carbon world. The industry has grounds for such optimism as Ottawa and an increasing number of provinces support its promise of zero emissions and a long Canadian nuclear power tradition. With this encouragement, the industry is seeking to expand, promising the power foundation needed to achieve Canada's climate targets and energy security. Will it Become Mainstream Again?......But there is at least one problem still haunting industry players. Can they convince a public anxious about an emergent atomic age, nuclear weapons proliferation, past and looming nuclear catastrophes and the industry’s radioactive waste problem?  Outside the hotel, a dozen demonstrators gathered in freezing temperatures to rail against plans to build a nuclear waste facility within a kilometre of the Ottawa River. The Nuclear Safety Commission approved a near-surface disposal facility there earlier this year. Already, three lawsuits against the project are underway, citing failure to respect Indigenous rights and duties to consult and historically poor waste management. Any expansion of reactors, big or small, will almost certainly meet the same resistance. John Arthur Gorman, president of the Canadian Nuclear Association, is upfront about his industry’s reputational challenges. “We have to stop this technology tribalism-type mentality,” he told Canada’s National Observer. “We have to work together to find the right combination in each place.” His “nuclear renaissance” argument hinges on this other existential threat: climate change.                                                                                                   

Nuclear in popular culture remains radioactive. Movies and television shows like Chernobyl, Oppenheimer and The Simpsons highlight a double-edged danger to nuclear power — war and accidents. In Japan, the role of nuclear power continues to haunt the country since bombs were dropped in the Second World War. The Godzilla movie is now an allegory for nuclear weapons, and the monster remains at theforefrontof the Japanese imagination. The fear of nuclear re-emerged in 2011 when a massive earthquake and tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, creating a Level 7 nuclear event, the worst rating for a disaster. Fukushima had a chilling effect elsewhere, too. Germany committed to decommission its remaining nuclear reactors following the disaster. At the same time, new coal mines were opened in the country to increase energy shortfalls spurred by the Russia-Ukraine war, which led to significant climate protests. Gorman believes activists view nuclear technology through a lens of misinformation and stigmas deeply embedded in popular culture. He looks to the 1979 film, The China Syndrome, starring Jane Fonda as a reporter who stumbles into a nuclear accident while doing a puff piece on Los Angeles’ energy grid. The film is a cautionary tale about corporate malpractice that leads to a nuclear accident. It premiered to the chagrin of some nuclear experts, who argued fears were overblown. They pointed to safeguards and America’s record on nuclear, which was accident-free at the time. But both Pfeiffer and O’Donnell see problems ahead for nuclear power generation in a warming world. Bodies of water that atomic power plants rely on to cool their plants are warming, causing temporary shutdowns in France over the last two years.                                                                                                                                                                          

Martin Pfeiffer, a PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico who studies nuclear weapons and nuclearity, thinks overconfident industries erode trust by refusing to acknowledge the chance of accidents. Three Mile Island was a prime example, he said. “Never ever say that an accident is impossible because it will happen and you will look really bad,” he said. After the incident, the anti-nuclear proliferation movement created conditions for fear and misunderstanding about nuclear power by conflating bombs with energy generation, Gorman said. Those worries are not unfounded and remain presenttill, Pfeiffer notes there are environmental and social justice risks associated with massively expanding renewables and points to the devastation caused by mining rare earth minerals. Yet, all signs are pointing toward some nuclear expansion in Canada in the near future. Last month, Nova Scotia lifted its nuclear energy ban, following the advice of its clean electricity solutions task force’s report. It was another vote of confidence for nuclear expansion in Canada. Gorman is pleased and says Canada will lead the way by bringing the world’s first small modular reactors (SMRs) online. Provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan with high-carbon energy sources are eyeing SMRs as part of their decarbonization efforts.....there's more- read on    https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/04/02/analysis/industry-declares-nuclear-renaissance-will-public-be-convinced                                                                                                                                   

• Advanced Nuclear Technologies. How Advanced Nuclear Technologies can solve problems. David Turver Apr 14-2024 This is the second of a series of articles looking at developments in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Nuclear Technologies. The first looked at the designs that have been short-listed in the Government’s SMR programme. This article will look at advanced nuclear technologies and how new companies are looking to exploit these technologies in new advanced reactors.                                                                                              Conventional Nuclear Reactors.....Conventional nuclear reactors are almost always Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) and sometimes Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), collectively known as Light Water Reactors (LWRs). There are also Heavy Water Reactors, for example Canada’s CANDU rectors, which use Deuterium Oxide as moderator and coolant. The main strength of LWRs is that they can produce safe and steady baseload power for decades. However, they have limited capability to flex output as demand varies. Moreover, the output temperature is relatively low at around 325^oC, which limits the efficiency of electricity generation and is not suitable for many process heat applications. Advanced reactors are under consideration for several reasons. First, they typically operate at higher temperatures than conventional reactors, so they can improve the efficiency of the steam turbines used to generate electricity. Second, the higher temperatures can be used for a wider range of process heat applications to replace natural gas in industry. Third, fast reactors can ‘burn’ spent fuel from conventional LWR reactors. Fourth, some designs are better able to “load-follow” meaning they can increase or decrease power output in response to demand fluctuations, making them more useful on the grid. Finally, many of these advanced designs incorporate passive-safety features to make them even safer than existing reactors.                                                                                                                                                                                  Advanced reactors can be characterised by the type of coolant and whether they employ fast or slow neutrons in the fission process. The types of coolant can be gas (for example Helium or Carbon Dioxide), Liquid Metal (for example, Sodium or Lead) or Molten Salts. Advanced reactors are under consideration for several reasons. First, they typically operate at higher temperatures than conventional reactors, so they can improve the efficiency of the steam turbines used to generate electricity. Second, the higher temperatures can be used for a wider range of process heat applications to replace natural gas in industry. Third, fast reactors can ‘burn’ spent fuel from conventional LWR reactors. Fourth, some designs are better able to “load-follow” meaning they can increase or decrease power output in response to demand fluctuations, making them more useful on the grid. Finally, many of these advanced designs incorporate passive-safety features to make them even safer than existing reactors. Advanced reactors can be characterised by the type of coolant and whether they employ fast or slow neutrons in the fission process. The types of coolant can be gas (for example Helium or Carbon Dioxide), Liquid Metal (for example, Sodium or Lead) or Molten Salts.                                                                                             

  Gas-Cooled Reactors......The UK has been running some form of Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) since 1963. Four reactors that were commissioned in the 1980’s are still operating at Hartlepool, Heysham (1 and 2) and Torness. These use Carbon Dioxide as the coolant. Hartlepool and Heysham 1 are due to be decommissioned in 2026 with Heysham 2 and Torness due to close in 2028. These reactors operate at around 640^oC and have a thermal efficiency of ~41% compared to the typical 325^oC and 34% for PWRs.The technology lead for gas-cooled reactors (GCRs) has now largely passed to China, with their HTR-PM which entered commercial operation in December last year. This plant uses Helium as the coolant and generates high temperature steam at 500^oC........read on for other types of reactors.......        https://davidturver.substack.com/p/advanced-nuclear-technologies
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Heat pumps are an alternative to gas boilers (hot water tanks) and wood stoves for indoor heating. They now feature in most proposals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by mid-century in order to meet the globally agreed aim of avoiding dangerous climate change. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says with high confidence that net-zero energy systems will include the electrification of heating “rely[ing] substantially on heat pumps” – with a possible exception only for extreme climates. Heat pumps significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from building heat and are the “central technology in the global transition to secure and sustainable heating”, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Heat pumps are also a mature technology and are very popular in countries such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, where they are the dominant heating technology. For the first time in 2022, heat pumps outsold gas boilers in the US – and they continued to do so in 2023. Yet, in major economies such as the UK and Germany, heat pumps are the subject of hostile and misleading reporting across many mainstream media outlets.Here, Carbon Brief fact checks 18 of the most common and persistent myths about heat pumps.......CLICK ON THE CAPTIONS BELOW

1. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps don’t work in existing buildings.’
2. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps only work in highly insulated buildings.’
3. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps only work with underfloor heating.’
4. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps won’t work in flats.’
5. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps don’t work when it’s cold.’
6. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps will always need a backup heating system to keep you warm.‘
7. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps won’t keep you warm.’
8. INCOMPLETE: ‘You will freeze during a power cut and be better off with a gas boiler.’
9. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps are noisy.’
10. INCOMPLETE: ‘Heat pumps cost more to run and will increase heating bills.’
11. FALSE. ‘Turning gas to electricity to heat via a heat pump is less efficient than burning gas in a boiler.’
12. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps will never offset the carbon emissions resulting from making them.’
13. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps devalue properties.’
14. INCOMPLETE: ‘Heat pumps are unaffordable.’
15. INCOMPLETE: ‘The grid cannot cope with heat pumps.’
16. INCOMPLETE: ‘Heat pumps don’t work with microbore piping.’
17. FALSE: ‘Heat pumps don’t last long.’
18. INCOMPLETE: ‘Heat pumps are new and untested technology.’             https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-18-misleading-myths-about-heat-pumps/

China’s carbon emissions set for structural decline from next year. Emissions by world’s most polluting country could peak this year after a surge in clean energy investments. Emissions from the world’s most polluting country have rebounded this year after the Chinese government dropped its Covid restrictions in January, according to analysis undertaken for Carbon Brief. However, this rebound in fossil fuel demand emerged alongside a historic expansion of the country’s low-carbon energy sources, which was far in excess of policymakers’ targets and expectations. Beijing’s solar and wind installation targets for the year were met by September, according to the report, and the market share of electric vehicles is already well ahead of the government’s 20% target for 2025. “These record additions are all but guaranteed to push fossil-fuel electricity generation and CO2 emissions into decline in 2024,” Lauri Myllyvirta, a lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and the author of the report. The most striking growth has been in solar power, according to Myllyvirta. Solar installations increased by 210 gigawatts (GW) this year alone, which is twice the total solar capacity of the US and four times what China added in 2020. The analysis, which is based on official figures and commercial data, found that China installed 70GW of wind power this year – more than the entire power generation capacity of the UK. It is also expected to add 7GW of hydro power and 3GW of nuclear power capacity this year, said the report.Myllyvirta said the boom in clean energy generation could trigger a decline in China’s emissions from next year despite a wave of new coal plants across the country. “This is because – for the first time – the rate of low-carbon energy expansion is now sufficient to not only meet, but exceed the average annual increase in China’s demand for electricity overall,” he said.“If this pace is maintained, or accelerated, it would mean that China’s electricity generation from fossil fuels would enter a period of structural decline – which would also be a first. Moreover, this structural decline could come about despite the new wave of coal plant permitting and construction in the country,” Myllyvirta added.   https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/13/chinas-carbon-emissions-set-for-structural-decline-from-next-year